Khushi Khater
I was born and brought by my very supportive parents who have always been also as my best friends.
Even though my childhood and schooling were quite fun-filled and peaceful. I had kept myself busy with extra-curricular activities. I was a well behaved that, even an incident like falling down from stairs because of a few people mischief was a big incident for me, and it affected my mental health.
Bullying is a grave affair in our society. It can affect the mental health and working ability of a person. I know it how awful it is, as I have lived it. There was a time during my schooling when my seniors and batch mates used to bully me. I have run for my crocs in the corridors, have been made to fall off stairs just for their fun. Although as times passed by as the things changed with me, yet those haunting memories remained with me.
From being an introvert, to just getting passed in 9th standard half yearly examinations, was for the cause of being bullied. I have gone through all but most importantly what happened is, that I emerged as a stronger person. That happened only when I decided to focus on the positive side of life and that’s when I started enjoying every moment in life.
Not only did it help me to perform better at school, but it also even gave me a new perspective look about Life, Happiness, Priorities etc. From not being able to communicate to anyone and until delivering my 1st speech at the age 14, for casting vote to become a council member of my school, It has always been a roller coaster ride for me.
I am forever grateful to those people who stuck around for me and helped me through the process of finding my true self. I felt socially awkward and anxious; I used to be a cocoon in a shell. I would see everyone interacting and having conversations, but I didn’t know how to behave around them.
My classroom was a very lively space and everyone would be having fun. But what I used to do was sit in the corner of that lively classroom and wondered as to how would I initiate a conversation with them. As I’ve always been hiding and avoiding all the social interactions, be it with friends or family It was the same difficulty which I had to face every time.
Things started to turn upside down for me when I was in Grade 9 as I mentioned above, I had just passed my half yearly examination. People around me started discouraging me by commenting that I wouldn’t pass out of school; and that I would be a failure and all that hit me quite hard and I was de-motivated.
I took it quite seriously and started to feel very insecure of myself and I started becoming a total introvert. For about a year and a half I felt all alone and was struggling with my emotions, but then I spoke about it to my parents and teachers they encouraged me to start doing things which make me happy, I started doing that after listening to them and then a writing competition in my new school changed my life. It was in 2015 where my write up was selected among 60 participants in school and from then I began my journey as a writer.
My passion encompasses at writing and sketching I never stopped both of these and would always share my poems & sketches with my friends and post it on social media. Which, in a way it kind of kept me alive. My poems were shared by numerous people through which, I came in the sight of a few popular establishments and Communities such as Rotaract Club, Inscribers Community and a few more.
I was invited as a guest speaker from sharing my journey and for delivering an inspirational talk in addition to that my interview was published by a blogger also. I have delivered talks at both national and international forums. I deliver talk at renowned organization like TED, yes you read it right I have delivered talk at TED at the age of 19 I delivered my 1st Ted Talk, and I was the youngest speaker of that event. I have been lucky enough to get opportunity to judge events and being invited as a Chief Guest too.
In the first lockdown despite the regular online classes and assignments, I had participated in writing and art competition; I stood 2nd and 3rd respectively. Apart from this, I have been a part of two anthologies. As by doing these two things, I feel I can express myself.
It has helped me the most, when I thought I wasn’t good at anything. “I can proudly say that my diary and art essentials have lighted my life with my most price possessions ever.”
After a certain point of my life, I never allowed these Bullying, Negative comments of the People around me, to make them affect my growth. Though, I started writing poems, blogs, and short stories. Little did I know that my love for poetry would give me recognition at an International Level?
Yes, you heard it correctly, I wrote poetries, and it got published at the International Readers Digest: New York at the age of 16. Today, I Khushi Khater can proudly say that I am a 20-year-old who received few of the prestigious awards of India.
I’m an official record holder in the INDIA BOOK OF RECORDS, I won the INDIA STAR ICON AWARD 2019, I was also awarded with Global Young Leader Fellowship & KARMAVEER CHAKRA AWARD by iCONGO in association with United Nations. I also received the NARI SAMMAN AWARD 2020.
These might sound as a badge of honour to most of sitting here but trust me these are not meant to hide my scars which I faced during my journey of The Metamorphosis within.
It’s been almost 4 years, since I’ve pass out from school, I honestly still can’t believe that I have achieved so many appreciations, honour, merits and, support of so many people around me above all the favor of God over me. That day when I realized these things, I decided to change my life, my attitude, my outlook, and perception towards life.
I even decided to not look back upon discouragements that I went through. Now I have a long way in my life’s journey to embark.
Soon, I went to the college in which I wanted to pursue my higher studies, started living in hostel far away from my comfort zone. When I say that I had to make a change in my life and had to improve myself, I have to mention the driving forces behind me were and are and always will be most primarily my parents, sister who were always like strong pillar of strength standing behind me and my school who gave me endless opportunities for shaping myself. All the achievements which I have received were just at a mere age of 16, 17, 18 and I want to achieve much more in my life.
I would like to tell you all that ‘Believe in yourself to become your best version’ and my dear friends’ failures and rejections are just a part of life. When we start accepting them, we start improving ourselves. So, go and live the life which you’ve imagined.
Now, my dear friends if you ask me where I see myself in the next 5 to 10 years, I would say there’s a lot, I would like to be in the Forbes Magazine, see myself as a successful person, inspire more people, publish my own story and a collection of poems. The list of the things which I am planning is endless, because my journey has just started, and I have a lot of things to achieve in my life.
And my dear friends don’t forget to stop believing in yourself!
